Senators Heinrich and Udall Vote Against Nuclear Option and Gorsuch

Senate Republicans successfully changed the Senate forever to force through President Trump’s conservative nominee to the US Supreme Court, but not with the help of New Mexico’s two US Senators.

This morning, Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich voted against the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the United States Supreme Court.

Click to watch the full vote from C-Span

The votes of both Senators come in a situation where Senate Republicans chose to invoke the “nuclear option.” 51 Votes were all it took this morning to change years of Senate precedent and allow 54 votes instead of 60 to seat Neil Gorsuch as a very young and very conservative judge on the United States Supreme Court. This unprecedented move will change the way confirmations to the Supreme Court are conducted for years to come.

Senators Udall and Heinrich’s votes against Gorsuch’s confirmation were preceded by statements late last month, to the New Mexico Political Report, citing reasons that each Senator found important to their New Mexican constituents, as the reasons for their lack of confidence in Gorsuch’s confirmation.

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“I share many of the concerns New Mexicans have expressed about Judge Gorsuch,” Heinrich said. “In particular, I’m concerned about his record of siding with large corporations over the rights of individuals and government action over the rights of citizens, and his boundless deference to executive power.”

“He failed to answer questions that are critical for me — his position on the rights of working mothers, whether women can choose their own health care decisions, LGBTQ rights, and dark money in our elections,” Udall said.

We will continue to track this situation as it unfolds – continuing to bring you updates and statements from our elected officials.